Israeli strikes kill three people in Gaza, medics say

Israeli strikes killed at least three Palestinians and wounded several others in the Gaza Strip on Monday, according to health officials in the territory.

Medics said two people were killed and six others wounded in two separate airstrikes in Khan Younis, in southern Gaza, while a third person was killed in an Israeli airstrike in the town of Al-Mussadar.

The Israeli military said it had carried out two strikes in the enclave targeting Palestinian militants but provided no further details.

Israel, which accuses Hamas of rearming and launching attacks in violation of a year-old ceasefire, has intensified strikes against the group in recent weeks.

Hamas has denied attempting to carry out attacks or rebuild its arsenal, accusing Israel of undermining the Gaza peace deal.

The US-brokered ceasefire agreed last year envisages the eventual reconstruction of the territory. However, little progress has been made as negotiators have failed to agree on terms for Hamas to disarm or for Israel to withdraw its troops, which control about two-thirds of Gaza after ordering residents to leave.

Nearly all of Gaza's more than 2 million residents live in the remaining third of the enclave, surrounded by the ruins of war. Most are sheltering in makeshift tents and damaged buildings in areas still effectively controlled by Hamas.

At least 1,580 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since the ceasefire took effect, according to the territory's health officials. Israel says four of its soldiers have been killed during the same period.

Palestinian authorities say more than 74,000 people have been killed in Israel's military assault on Gaza, launched after Hamas-led fighters killed about 1,200 people in southern Israel on October 7, 2023.